Safety clip



April 6, 1948 H. D. MILLER 2,439Q018 CLIP Filed'uarcn lsv. 194e l l I ,410 I /10 /SIIIIM I INVENTOR. Y F294 Flg BY H0merD.Mlller ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATE-"NT GFFICEL SAFETY our HomexfD. Miller, Canton, Ohio ApplicationMarch 18, 1946, Serial No. 655.32m

8 Claims.

The invention relates to safety clips for ioun` tain pens, pencils and similar articles which are ordinarily carried in a pocket of they user, and more particularly to a sim-plee inexpensive and' efficien-t safety device whichl may be` applied to the ordinary type of clip usedd for such articles.

It is an object, of the invention to provide a safety clipl iorv fountain pens andthe like comprising a springf clip of conventional form having a, reversely disposed pin or spur thereon adapted to engagein the materialt of the pocket in which the. pen is' placedfor securely retaining; the pen within the pocket and prevent: accidental; displacement thereof.

Another object` iss to provide a safety clip of this= character in; which a manually operable tubular memberV isf slidably mounted upon the pin or spurlor releasing the pen from the: fabgric and covering the point thereof to Permit removal of the pen from the pocket.

A further: object is to: provide a devise; of the characterreierred te in, which the; slidingr tubular member which operates theA pin orr spur isv of generally spherical contour.

A still further object is to provide; such a: safety clip-in=,which: theisliding; tubular member is` carried by a finger piece sl-idably mounted upon the clip proper.

Another object of the invention is. to provide a safety clip of this character in, which the sliding tubular member 'which ,controls the pi-n or spur isV operated by a lever pivotedunon the cli-p.

The above objects, together withothers which will4 be- 'apparent fromv the drawing and following description, or which may be late-r referred to,

mayv be attained; by constnucting the improved safety clip: in the manner hereinafter described in detail' and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: i

`liig-ure 1 is a side elevation` of-` a fountain pen lnovidecl with `the improvedr safety clip showing the sliding tubular memberA in position to cover the point of the. pin or spur to permit removal of the pen from a pocket; Y

Fig., 2` a similar View showing the. sliding tubular member in position to permit the pin or spur to engage, the material of a pocket. in which the pen is located;

Fig, 3y an enlargediragmentary elevation of the clip, with parts broken away, showing the, manne-r sli-ding member upon the penis carried by the finger piece slidably mounted upon the clim Fig. 54 an enlarged fragmentary sectionalview of the lower-portion, of theclipl sl'iowingA` a slightly modiiied form of sliding tubular member andnf ger piece;

Fig. 6 a transversesectional through the clip shown in Fig; 5.;

Fig. 7 a fragmentary elevation with parts broken in sectiomof the lower portion. of, the clip illustrating a modied form with lever operated means riorl operating the. tubular sliding member, showing the parts in position. to. permit the pinto engage the material 'of a pocket, and;

Fig. 8 a similar viewv showing the lever operated to position to withdrawthe pointy ot the pin or spur from the material andenelose the same within the sliding tubular member.

Referring iirst morey particularly to the con struction shown irl- Eigs. 1 tore inclusive, afountain pen is indicated generally at 1.0 provided with the usual removable cap. I-I; to which is connected the clip indicated generally at I'2- `which may be of conventional constructiom The; clip I2 may be formed of spring metal ci slightly arcuate forrn, the upper end' thereof being connected to the cap II of the pen in any usual and well known manner as indicatedvat I3` and a ball I4 being formed at the lower free end of the clip and adapted to normallyengage the side lof the. cap Ill in usual and Wel-l known manner, so as to tend to pincha portion of; the material of the pocketbetweert the.. ball- If4- andA the cap II when the pen isplaced; in thepocket by the user.

Even `though a considerable tension. is: maintained upon this. ball it:` is foundin practice that it frequently happens that pens', pencils or the like provided with such clips. aeelderrtally become dislodged :from the pndsetf resulting in loss or damage tothe pen; or

The present invention contemplates a sim-ple, efficient and easily operatedv safety `attaohrrlent which may be applied to theI conventional clip illustrated and' above described, which will. positively secure the pen, pencil orother article in the pocket and prevent accidental removal therefrom.

To this end a reversely disposed, angularly located pin or spur I5 is formed integrally with,` or rigidly secured to,the clip I2, the 'base portion It of this pin being preferably connected to the ball I 4 of the -clip while the pointed end I1 thereof is angularly `disposed. toward the pen or pencil so asto. engage in the material of the pocket when the pen or pencil is, placed therein.

For the purpose of operating the pin or spur I5 to withdraw it from the operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1, a tubular member I8 is slidably mounted upon the pin or spur I5 and adapted to be normally positioned in the lower position shown in Figs, 2 and 3 permitting the pin to be located at an angle toward the pen, so as to engage the material M of the pocket, and to be manually raised to the upper position shown in Fig. 1 to pull the pin into position substantially parallel to the pen and enclose lthe pointed end I1 thereof as shown in Fig. 1.

The sliding member I8 is preferably of generally spherical shape as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, as this shape will readily facilitate pushing the material oi of the pointed end of the pin when it is desired to remove the pen from the pocket.

The` tubular sliding member I8 may be operated by the iinger piece indicated generally at I9 which is 'slidab-ly mounted upon the clip I2` For this purpose an elongated slot'20 is provided in the clip I2 and a bar 2I connecting the finger piece I9 to the tubular member I8 is located through said slot. y

Flanges 22 may be formed von the side edges of the finger piece IS and located over the side edges of the clip I2 and the outer faces of the finger piece I9 may be serrated as at 23 so as to be frictionally engaged -by the nger for sliding `thisiinger piece upon the clip I2 from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to that shown in Fig. 1. Y A slight modiiication of the invention is shown in Figs.' 5 and 6 in which the clip I2a may be the same construction as above described having the ball Ita at its lower end and the pin or spur Ia formed integrally with or connected thereto in the manner above described.

The ringer piece I9a may be formed of sheet metal and bent to tubular, rectangular cross sectional shape as shown `in Fig. 6 so as to slidably mount the same upon the clip I2a and the integral flange 2 Ia may be formed thereon having its end formed intoa tube Illa slidably mounted upon the pin I5a.

The upper end 'of the tube I8a is preferably rolled as indicated at I8 in order to more easily push the material of the pocket from the point of the pin when it is desired' to remove the pen from'the'pocket.

In order to limit the movement of the sliding nger piece Illa upon the clip I2a in each direction, any suitable form of projection or shoulders 24 may be formed and properly spaced upon the clip, acting as stops to limit the movement of the nger piece. v

The operation of the fonm of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is the same as that described in detail pertaining to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Y

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the tubular sliding member 'which controls the pin or spur may be operated by :lever'means instead of by the sliding nger piece above described. In this case the clip I2b may be of the same conventional design as above, with the ball Mb at its lower end and the pin or spur I5b xed thereto.

The sliding tubular member I8b may be operated by means of a bell crank lever 25, fulciiumed intermediate its ends within the slot 26 in the clip, as by the pivot pin 2'I, one arm 28 yof the bell'cralnk lever being pivotally connected as at 29 to thesliding tubular member I8b, the other arm 3U of the bell crank lever being located .upon the outer side of the clip and adapted to be manually operated.

In normal position the lever arm 30 lies against the outer side of the olip as shown in Fig. 7, the sliding tubular member I8b being located around the pin I 5b at a point spaced from the point I'Ib thereof so that the .point of the pin will engage in the material of the pocket when the pen is placed therein.

In order to remove the pen from the pocket, the lever arm 30 is swung outward and downward to the position shown in Fig. 8 and through the arm 28 the sliding tubular member I 8b is moved upward upon the pin pushing the material of the pocket therefrom and enclosing the point I'Ib of the pin within the tubular member I8`b as shown Iin Fig. 8 so that the pen may be withdrawn from the pocket.

It will be obvious that since the normal position of the pin or spur is at an angle to the clip, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and '7, the pin will be under tension when the tubular sliding member is moved to the position shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 8, and this tension upon the pin is suiiicient to throw the tubular member back to the normal position as soon as the finger piece is released, whereby the pin will always be in position to engage the material of the pocket except when the nger piece is manually operated.

I claim: 1. In combination with a fountain pen and th like, a clip fixed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and means for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

2. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip fixed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and means for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein and move the end of the pin away from the pen.

3. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip xed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a, tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and a finger piece slidably mounted upon the clip for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

4. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip xed atone end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a substantially spherical tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and means for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein,

5. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip xed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and a finger piece slidably mounted upon the clip, there being a slot in the clip, and a bar located through said slot and connecting the finger piece to the tubular member, for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

6. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip xed at one end to the pen and havingr its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and a finger piece of tubular cross section slidably mounted around the clip, and a flange upon the finger piece connected to the tubular member for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

7. In combination With a fountain pen and the like, a clip xed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slidably mounted upon the pin and a lever upon the clip for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

8. In combination with a fountain pen and the like, a clip fixed at one end to the pen and having its other end located adjacent to the side of the pen, a reversely disposed, angular pin connected to the last named end of the clip and normally disposed toward the pen, a tubular member slid-` ably mounted upon the pin and a bell crank lever pivoted upon the clip and pivotally connected to the tubular member for sliding the tubular member upon the pin to enclose the end of the pin therein.

HOMER D. MILLER. 

